Convertible breast and back rest for bicycles



N0. 620,688. Patented Mar. 7, I899. .1. W000.

CONVERTIBLE BREAST AND BACK BEST FOR BICYCLES.

(Application filed Dec. 8, 1897.\

(No Model.)

Tl NITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOSEPH WOOD, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

CONVERTIBLE BREAST AND BACK REST FOR BICYCLES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Eatent NO. 620,688, dated March 7,1899. Application filed December 8,1897- Serial No. 661,152. (No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOSEPH W001), a citizen of the United States,residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Convertible Breast andBack Rests for Cyclers, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in a device to be attached tobicycles to afford a rest for the breast or back of the rider; and itconsists in certain peculiarities of the construction, novelarrangement, and operation of the various parts thereof, as will behereinafter more fully set forth and specifically claimed.

The principal object of this invention is to afford a chest or breastrest or support for cyclers which can be readily secured to the upperpart of the bicycle-frame, and when so placed may be adjusted to aproper position between the handle-bars and seat, and on or againstwhich the rider can rest or lean, thus relieving the arms of the greatstrain and fatigue incident to the vibrations through the handle-barsand the continuous grasping of the same, as well as enabling him toexert more power through his feet and legs on the cranks and pedals.

In order to enable others skilled in the art to which my inventionpertains to make and use the same, I will now proceed to describe it,referring to the accompanying drawings, in which-- Figure 1 is a view inside elevation of a bicycle, showing my rest attached thereto and in theposition it will occupy when used as a breast support or rest. Fig. 2 isa similar view of the rear portion of a bicycle, showing the attachmentsecured thereto and in the position it will occupy when used foraback-rest. Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the spring-support and upperpart of the supporting-arm. Fig. 4 is an enlarged perspective view ofthe securing-clamp, showing it closed and detached from the bicycle andillustrating its serrated arm or extension. Fig. 5 isadetachedperspective view of the adj usting-arm. Fig. 6 is a plan view of aportion of the supporting-arm, adj usting-arm, and a part of the arm orextension on the clamp and illustrating the manner of securing saidparts together; and

Fig. 7 is a rear perspective View illustrating a modification in theconstruction of the springsupport and upper part of the supporting-armSimilar letters refer to like parts throughout the different views ofthe drawings.

A represents the securing-clamp, which is adapted to be secured to theupper tube A of the bicycle-frame when the attachment is used as abreast-rest and to the saddle-post A when employed as a back-rest. Thisclamp is composed of two semicircular pieces a and a, hinged together atone of their sides, as at a as shown in Fig. 4 of the drawings. Theoppo= site side of the piece ct from its hinged portion is provided witha transverse and open slot or for the passage of the head I) of thescrew b,

which passes through an opening in the side of the piece a and issecured by means of a set-nut c of the ordinary or any preferredconstruction. The upper surface of the piece a may be provided on eachside of the slot 0, with indentations or recesses a to receive the headI) of the screw. By loosening the nut c the head 17 may be turned untilit is in alinement with the slot a through which it will pass and allowthe piece a to be raised, thus permitting the clamp to be removed fromthe supportingtube. On its upper surface and extendingforwardly thepiece a is provided with an arm or extension B, having a series of teethor serrations b to engage similar teeth (1 on the adj listing-arm D,which is adj u stably secured on the arm or extension B by means of abolt e, which passes through the openings e ande of the arms B and D,respectively, and a set-nut a which engages suitable threads on the endof said bolt. The opening e in the arm B is preferably rectangular inform to receive the rectangular portion of the bolt e, whichconstruction preventssaid bolt turning therein. Around the opening 6 isformed a boss 6 which fits into the countersunk recess e of theadjusting-arm D, and thus centers the two arms B and D and causes theirteeth to accurately register. vided with a longitudinal slot d for there ception and operation of a bolt f, which passes through said slot andan opening in the lower end of the sup porting-arm E and is secured inplace by means of a suitable nut. To the upper end of the supporting-armE is secured a spring-rest G, which is composed of a bar The arm D ispro- IOO g, secured transversely to the end of the supporting-arm, andtwo flexible pieces g, which are fastened at their ends to the ends ofthe bar 9, thus formingabow-spring on each side of the cross-bar. Thepieces 9 may be made of any suitable material, and when made of metalmay be covered with leather, felt, or other suitable material or may beprovided with a pneumatic cushion.

In Fig. 7 of the drawings I have shown a modification in theconstruction of the springsupport which consists in employing a bar 9 towhich is secured, on one of its sides only, a flexible piece h, which isformed into a bowspring, as is clearly shown. In this modification themiddle portion of the bar 9 is reduced and formed with a rounded portiong to fit within the sleeve h on the upper end of the supporting-arm andis fixed in the desired position by means of a set-screw 71. located insaid sleeve. By using a doubled spring-support, as shown in Fig. 3 ofthe drawin gs, it is apparent that when the attachment is applied to thetube A of the bicycle-frame, as it must be when intended to be used as aback-rest, that one of the springs g will be in position for the back torest against, and when the device is used for a breast-rest, as shown inFig. 1 of the drawings, the other spring will lie against the breast,thus obviatingthe necessity of turning the spring-support on thesupporting-arm, provision for which has been made in the modificationillustrated in Fig. '7 of the drawings and which will allow the flexibleor spring piece h to be turned to either side of the supporting-arm, asis obvious.

WVhile I have shown in Figs. 3 and 7 two forms or modes of constructingthe springsupport, yet I do not desire to be limited to either of saidconstructions, as I may employ other supports and attach them to thesupporting-arm E in any suitable manner.

The operation of my device is simple and as follows: To place thesecuring-clamp A on the desired tube of the bicycle-frame, thecross-head b of the screw 1) is turned so as to pass through the openslot a when the piece a of the clamp may be turned on its hinge andplaced over or around the tube, when the head I) may be passed backthrough the slot a and turned crosswise thereof and secured in positionby means of the set-nut c, which will firmly secure the clamp in thedesired position. The adjusting-arm D, carrying the supporting-arm E,may be adjusted on the arm or extension B to any desired angle and thesupporting-arm E adjusted to any desired position and there secured bymeans of the bolt f, passing through the slot 61 of the adjusting-arm.

Having thus fully described my invention, What I claim as new, anddesire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. The combination of a clamp having an arm or extension provided with aseries of teeth arranged in a circle, with an adjusting arm having atone of its ends a series of teeth to engage the teeth on the arm of theclamp, and provided with a longitudinal slot, means to adj ustablysecure the adj usting-arm to the arm of the clamp, a supporting-armsecured at one of its ends in the'slot of the adjustingarm, a piece orbar secured transversely and adjustably to the other end of thesupporting-arm, and a spring secured at its ends to the ends of saidtransverse piece, to form a rest for the-breast or back of the rider,substantially as described.

2. The combination with a clamp comprising the pieces .a, and a, hingedtogether at their sides, the piece a, having the arm B, provided withserrations and also having the open slot a the piece a, having anopening in its side adjacent to said slot, a screw located in saidopening and having the crosshead 17, adapted to pass through the slot ain the piece a, and a set-nut to engage the screw,

of the adjusting-arm D, provided with a longitudinal slot, and havingserrations on one of its ends, means to adjustably secure the saidadjusting-arm to the arm B, a supporting-arm adj ustably secured at oneof its ends in the slot of the adjusting-arm, apiece or bar transverselysecured to the other end of the supporting-arm and having secured to itsends a spring to afford a rest for the breast or back of the rider,substantially as described.

3. The combination in a clamp of the pieces a,and a, hinged together atone of their sides, the piece a, having the open slot a and the piece a,having an opening in its side adjacent to the said slot, a screw locatedin said opening and having thecross-head b, adapted to pass through theslot a in. the piece a, and a set-nut to engage the screw,substantially' as described.

' JOSEPH WOOD.

Witnesses:

CHAS. C. TILLMAN, E. A. DUGGAN.

